Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146 Cover Image

Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146: Cantata/ Oratorio, Orchestra Accompaniment, VS

$4.50 USD
$4.50 USD
Skip to product information
Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146 Cover Image
Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146: Cantata/ Oratorio, Orchestra Accompaniment, VS

Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146: Cantata/ Oratorio, Orchestra Accompaniment, VS

By Johann Sebastian Bach, ed./arr. by Bernhard Todt

Item: 36-A452591
$4.50
Shipped

One moment…

Description
Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146 (We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God) was composed in 1726 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) during his Leipzig tenure as Thomaskantor, and was written for Jubilate Sunday (the Third Sunday after Easter). The cantata's text reflects the Lutheran theology of suffering as a necessary passage to salvation, drawing on Acts 14:22, and Bach underscores this message by reworking instrumental material -- likely adapted from a lost concerto -- into a weighty and expressive opening Sinfonia and chorus. BWV 146 received its first performance in Leipzig in 1726 as part of the city's regular liturgical cycle. Today CANTATA NO. 146 occupies an important place within Bach's church-cantata repertoire, and it is frequently performed and recorded both in liturgical reconstructions and concert settings. Instrumentation: 1.2(both dObd'a)+1(EH).0.0: 0.0.0.0: [Org in score].[Hpchd]: Str (2.2.1.1.1 in set): Solo SATB: Mix Chorus. Reprint of the 1894 edition by Bernhard Todt, this vocal score can be performed with the Paul Waldersee orchestra score and parts, also available from the publisher.

Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146: Cantata/ Oratorio, Orchestra Accompaniment, VS isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

No sample pages found.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Choral Library
Publisher: EDWIN F KALMUS
ISBN13: 979-8-898107-57-4
UPC: 605258981912
SKU: 36-A452591
Instrumentation: 1.2(both dObd'a)+1(EH).0.0: 0.0.0.0: [Org in score].[Hpchd]: Str (2.2.1.1.1 in set): Solo SATB: Mix Chorus or Kybrd Accomp: Solo SATB: Mix Chorus

More about this title

About the Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685, 1750) served as Thomaskantor in Leipzig from 1723 until his death, a position that required him to compose and oversee music for the city's churches. During his 27 years there, he produced the majority of his sacred vocal works, including nearly 200 cantatas written for the liturgical calendar. Bach's cantatas represent the pinnacle of Lutheran church music, blending theological depth with compositional mastery.

Bach's approach to the cantata form allowed him to respond directly to the theological content of each Sunday's readings and chorale tradition. He frequently reworked instrumental material into sacred contexts, drawing on concertos, sinfonias, and dance forms to create works that served both spiritual and musical purposes. His Leipzig cantatas remain central to the choral and orchestral repertoire, studied and performed worldwide as models of how music can embody theological meaning.

Why we love this

The opening Sinfonia alone justifies programming this cantata; Bach's reworking of instrumental material into a weighty, expressive prelude sets a contemplative tone that unfolds across the entire work. The architecture of BWV 146 rewards singers and listeners alike because its theological argument, suffering as passage to salvation, emerges clearly through the music itself, not as abstract theology but as lived experience. Frequent recordings and continued performances in both liturgical and concert settings confirm that this cantata speaks to contemporary ensembles and audiences, making it a natural choice for serious choral programs.

What to expect

The opening Sinfonia unfolds with austere beauty, its instrumental lines weaving together in patterns that feel both inevitable and profound. Bach matches this orchestral gravity with choral writing that treats suffering not as a moment to lament but as a doctrine to understand, so the whole work radiates a kind of resolute clarity tempered by genuine emotion.

Who it's for

This cantata serves choirs with solid ensemble technique, strong music-reading skills across all voice parts, and experience with Baroque counterpoint and harmonic language. It suits programs that include liturgical reconstructions of Bach's Leipzig practice, concert performances of sacred music from the Baroque, or choral festivals featuring extended works.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the texture between solo voices and chorus carefully; the Lutheran theology of the text demands that both individual witness and congregational response come through clearly.
  • Shape the Sinfonia with a sense of sustained purpose rather than pushing the tempo; let the weighty orchestration speak to the gravity of the text.
  • Coordinate with your orchestra on the continuo realization and articulation of string figures, as these details shape how the chorus enters and sustains its lines.
  • Mark phrase breathing points in advance so that the chorus can navigate the harmonic complexity without losing vocal line integrity or ensemble precision.

How to use it

Position this cantata in a liturgical or thematic concert that explores Bach's response to suffering and redemption, it pairs naturally with chorale-based works or other Leipzig cantatas from the Easter season. The orchestration keeps the work relatively intimate compared to larger Bach works, making it suitable for chamber choral concerts or academic festival programs where you can perform it alongside secular instrumental works by the same composer.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing exposed solo lines in a complex harmonic environment
  • Navigating ensemble entrances that depend on listening to instrumental cues
  • Sustaining focused tone and text clarity across long phrase arcs
  • Understanding text-painting and how orchestral figures support choral meaning
  • Reading and performing Baroque counterpoint with multiple independent lines

You May Also Like